Rangpur, Aug. 25 -- Before it could even be finished, the much-hyped embankment along the Akhira River in Pirganj upazila of Rangpur has collapsed.

Locals alleged that the use of substandard materials and hasty construction are the reasons behind the collapse.

Under the supervision of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), some 100 metres of the riverbank protection embankment in Chatra Union of Pirganj upazila collapsed recently even though work on the 800-metre-long structure is still going on.

Visiting the site on Saturday afternoon, the UNB correspondent found that much of the project completed and the concrete blocks being placed along the embankment. Several blocks had fallen off before installation was finished and walkw...